To me, one of the great things about travel — even if it’s a short trip — is trying new spots, as well as trying different things at favorite spots. For me, food is often the most memorable part of traveling: I still dream of poutine I had at La Banquise in Montreal; soul food at Taste This in Baltimore; thin crust pizza in Chicago; pumpkin soup in Frankfurt-am-Main — and of course, beer; beer across the Netherlands; and on and on.
Several years ago, I had a day job that required occasional travel down to Philly. I would be down for a day or two every few months, including a conference, where I was in town for about a week. So I’ve gotten a good sense of the town — particularly Center City. But I still find myself discovering things I hadn’t known before, which is pretty cool in my book.
So if you didn’t instagram your meal, did you really eat it? This trip there were stops at Khyber Pass Pub, a bar I almost always find a way to stop at while in town; Green Eggs Cafe, a new favorite of mine in town; Johnny Brenda‘s for pre show food; Fergie’s Pub, a favorite Irish pub in Center City; and Tattooed Mom, one of my favorite dive bars in the city.
Caption: Eggs in Purgatory, Khyber Pass Pub, Center City, Philly. Under the eggs is tomato sauce with andouille sausage. And it was absolutely delicious. The sausage and tomato sauce was perfect and the eggs were super fresh.
Caption: Three scrambled eggs with potatoes and sausage at Green Eggs Cafe, a new favorite in town for breakfast.
Caption: Honey Sriracha Chicken Sandwich with Fries, Johnny Brenda’s. A perfect mix of sweet and hot with an enormous piece of chicken breast.
Caption: Jalapeñño Deviled Eggs, Johnny Brenda’s. The jalapeño on the deviled eggs added a nice mix of spicy to the creaminess of the eggs.
Caption: Crab Dip. Johnny Brenda’s. I’ve had crab dip in Baltimore and wasn’t expecting much here, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good this was.
Caption: Stuffed Meatballs, Johnny Brenda’s.
Caption: Angus Burger with Fries and Spicy Pickle, Fergie’s Pub. You can never go wrong with an Irish pub burger. Their staff was warm and very friendly. And the Guinness was fantastic. So, I think I’ll find a way to stop by whenever I’m in town.
Caption: Pickle Chips, Fergie’s Pub.
Caption: Cheesy Tots, Tattooed Mom. Tattooed Mom is one of my favorite Philly dives. This was the first time I had food there and the tots hit the spot.
